Method of making manifold sets



March 3, 1942. G. NEWTON 2,274,910

METHOD OF MAKING MANIFOLD SETS Filed April 14, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1fA/ME/vron f2 650366165 Nth f0 March 3, 1942. G. L. NEWTON METHOD OFMAKING MANIFOLD SETS Fiied April 14, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JM/cwramGEO/F66 4:: Win 701v r/// 1. 1 M mm :iiiiiifl:5::

Patented Mar. 3, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,274,910 METHOD OFMAKING MANIFOLD SETS George Lee Newton, Memphis, Tenn. Application April14, 1941, Serial No. 388,467 6 Claims. -(Cl. 282-454) This inventionrelates particularly to a manifold set having carbon or transfer sheetsinterposed between the record sheets and to a method for assembling andbinding such sheets into individual sets.

In modern practice copies are made by the use of carbon sheets which areinter-leaved between the original and successive copy sheets. It hasbeen found advantageous, particularly where multiple copies are to bemade, to pre-assemble the record sheets and carbon sheets into sets,securing the sheets of each set together so that the user mustnecessarily make a complete set of copies, whether by typing or writingotherwise as with pencil and the typist need only handle and insert theunit in the typewriter and proceed with the work. In such sets it issubstantially standard practice to perforate the record sheets adjacentthe binding edge so that they may be easily detached along such line ofperforations, but not to so perforate the carbons, and to terminate theopposite edge of the carbons well short of the corresponding edges ofthe record sheets so that the binding edge of the set may be firmlygrasped, and the record sheets grasped, opposite the bound side and therecord sheets snapped apart along the line of perforation leaving thecarbon sheets attached to the binding edge, the original and otherrecord sheets being then distributed as may be seen fit, and the carbonsheets thrown away.

Much time and ingenuity has been, devoted to the means employed forsecuring the sheets together and to the method of assembling andaccomplishing this securing in an endeavor to hold down the cost, speedup the work and improve the sets so that they may be easily placed inthe typewriter. The sheets so formed are secured together along oneedge, almost universally by the use of glue or other adhesive which isapplied along such edge in some manner.

Quite a number of these structures require the individual application ofthe adhesive to one or more sheets of the set or to the edge of eachindividual set, greatly slowing down the manufacture, whereas othersapply the adhesive to piles or stacks of sets, usually making openingsfor the entrance of adhesive through one of the record sheets andfolding over this record sheet along the line of holes to form a binderfor the other sheets of the set, and compressing the stack of setsadjacent such bound edge in order to cause spreading apart of the sheetsand permit penetration of the adhesive for binding purposes, thisseparation, however extending to the sets themselves permitting entranceof the adhesive between the sets and bonding the sets together so thatthey must be pulled apart before use, this ordinarily being done by theassembler before shipping so that the typist may not be delayed.

In eifecting the separation of one set from the other much care isnecessary to determine the line of demarcation between sets and theseparation is definitely slowed down. Ordinarily also the penetration ofthe adhesive between sets is such that after the line of demarcation isdetermined it is necessary to run a dull edged knife or spatula betweenthe sets to effect the separation. Also after'such sets have beenseparated they are ordinarily racked up into packages or stacks and sodelivered to the typist and particularly where there are a considerablenumber of sheets involved in each set it is often hard to pick up anindividual set.

The objects of the present inventon are:

To provide unitary manifold sets which may be readilly picked up by thetypist from a stack of such sets and be placed in the typewriter for usewith a minimum of time and trouble and after use may be separated intorecord sheets and carbon sheets, which latter may be thrown away.

A further object is to make a manifold set which lends itself readily torapid assembling and securing into such forms; and

A further object is to improve the method of assembling, securing andseparating sheets into manifold sets.

The means by which the foregoing and other objects are accomplished andthe method of their accomplishment will readily be understood from thefollowing specification upon reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a face view of a manifold set comprising three record sheetsand two carbon sheets with portions of all of the sheets except thefinal record sheet turned back to as far as possible disclose details.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line IIII of Fig. 1 with the thickness of thesheets greatly increased showing the space created by notching of thesheets, the termination of the carbon sheets short of the edge of therecord sheets and the extension of the last record sheet beyond all ofthe other sheets.

Fig. 3 is a substantially identical section of a set comprising fiverecord and four carbon sheets in which an intermediate sheet is notnotched.

Fig. 4 is a similar section showing a stack of the sets, as shown inFig. 2, laterally displaced or fanned to show the manner in which suchdisplacement provides entrance space in applying the adhesive.

Figs. 5 to 11 inclusive show various stages and steps in the assemblingand handling of a stack of sets, Figs. 5 to 8 being on a smaller scalethan Figs. 9 to 11. In these views Fig. 5 shows an assembling tray andthe method of stacking sets therein. Figs. 6 and '7 show the manner ofevening up the end and side edges of a stack of sheets; Fig. 8 placementof a stack prior to application of adhesive; Fig. 9 fanning or lateraldisplacement of a stack to receive the adhesive; Fig. 10 the stackpartially straightened up after placing of the adhesive for drying andalso a subsequent step in the separation of the individual sets from thestack.

Referring now to the drawings in which the various parts are indicatedby numerals:

I2 is an original, M intermediate, and it a final record sheet, betweenwhich sheets are inter-leaved carbon sheets H3, in Figs. 1 and 2 oneintermediate sheet being shown and in Fig. 3, five such sheets. All ofthe record sheets are perforated respectively along lines l2-A, I4-A,l6--A adjacent their upper edges to provide readily detachable bindingstrips. The carbon sheets are not so perforated. The carbon sheets areprovided with notches l8B, and the intermediate record sheets withnotches i k-B, here shown as semi-circular, these notches perferablybeing all of the same size and adapted to register when the sheets areassembled. The corresponding upper edges of the original record sheet l2and the final record sheet It are not so notched. Also where acomparatively large number of sheets are assembled in a set, as in Fig.3, one of the intermediate record or carbon sheets, it being immaterialwhich, may also be left unnotched, as shown by the intermediate recordsheet I l-C in Fig. 3.

The carbon sheets are all substantially shorter than the record sheetsso that as indicated clearly in Figs. 2 and 3, the record sheets extendwell beyond the carbon sheets. Also the final record sheet [6 extendsslightly beyond all the other sheets, primarily so that when the setsare stacked, as in Figs. 5, 8 and 10, the lower sheet of each setextends beyond the shorter underlying sheet of the next set and permitsrapid and sure engagement in picking up the top set.

In Figs. 5 to 11, which are directed to stacks of the sets, it is a trayhaving an end wall 22 at right angles, the bottom of the tray preferablyinclining downward toward the end wall. The various sheets of the sets,five sheet sets being shown, are successively deposited in this tray,the elongated final record sheet 05 being first deposited and then insuccession a carbon sheet l8, intermediate record sheet i l, a secondcarbon sheet l8 and the original record sheet 12 completing the set, andthis operation is successively repeated until such number of sets havebeen assembled as may be desired in the stack.

Prior to placing the first sheet in the tray a backing sheet 24, as ofcard board, may be placed in the tray and the sheets forming the setsassembled thereon. On completion an additional backing sheet 26 may belaid on the top of the last set placed and the stack thus enclosed forpicking up. Often, however, the stacks are assembled and removed withoutthe use of these backs, it being customary, however, for more readyhandling and for protecting the top and bottom sets of the stack to makeuse of some such backing, at least during subsequent handling of thestack.

After a number of stacks of sets have been assembled they aretransferred to the gluing table. I-Iere each stack is upended 0n. thesurface of the table 28, as shown in Fig. 6, and while held looselybetween the backs 24, 26, the upper end edges of the sheets are broughteven. Usually the stack is then turned on one side edge, as shown inFig. '7, and similarly evened up sidewise. The stack is then laid flaton the table, as shown in Fig. 8, and subsequently the back 26 removed.The sheets of the stack are then fanned or displaced, substantially asshown in Fig. 9, to prepare the end edges to receive the glue or otheradhesive to be placed thereon. A guard sheet 30, of paper, is placed onthe top set to protect the surface against adhesive and.

with a brush (not shown) the fanned end 32 of the sheets forming thesets is very copiously and thoroughly covered with the adhesive. Indoing this it will readily be seen that the notches I4A, l8A allow muchgreater than normal edge penetration of the adhesive and permiteffective adherence of the bottom and top sheets (unperforated) or ofthe bottom, intermediate and top sheets, Fig. 3, which with the minoredge penetration accomplishes the desired securement of all the sheetsof the set, yet minimizes interset securing. Immediately following theapplication of the adhesive the stack is restored, as shown in Figs. 10and 11, to about its original position as shown in Fig. 8, except thatthe end 32 of the stack is preferably not quite restored to a verticalline, this primarily being done to give slightly more overhang to theopposite ends of the bottom sheets.

After this step of the operation the adhesive is allowed to partiallydry and set, this drying period depending obviously on the rapidity withwhich the adhesive sets up. After such drying and setting period theoperator engages with his finger a corner edge l6C of the final orbottom sheet 16 of the top set of sheets, the projection of the sheet [6making it easy for this to be rapidly and accurately accomplished. Thecorner l5-C, together with the sheets thereabove, are curled upward, asdisclosed in Figs. 10 and 11, and the set removed from the underlyingsets, the progress of removal being diagonally along and across thestack in the general direction of the arrow 34 in Fig. 11, and theoperation being accomplished with extreme ease and rapidity.

. The disengaged sets may be promptly piled in stacks again as thestickiness of the adhesive has been substantially destroyed. It isobvious that it is advantageous to remove the sets before finalhardening of the adhesive is accomplished, but it will be understoodthat this operation can be and is often performed after the adhesive isthoroughly dry, the rolling movement of the set is accomplishing theremoval substantially removing tendency of the final sheet, or anyothers, to tear apart along the line of perforations l6-A and thepenetration of the adhesive between the end edges of the bottom sheet ofthe set being removed, and the top sheet of the next underlying set,being so slight as to provide little resistance to such removal.

After drying and setting of the adhesive the piles or stacks of loosesets are delivered to the user, each set being handled by the typist asa unit.

I claim:

1. The method of forming manifold sets which includes assembling a pileof sheets to form a plurality of superposed sets, each set including inalternating succession record sheets and carbon sheets, each set beingbegun with a record sheet and completed with a record sheet, evening thebinding ends of the sheets of said pile, placing said pile on a supportwith said sheets in such superposed relation, displacing thesuccessively overlying sheets of said pile in substantial evenprogression away from said binding end to create a stepped end pile,applying adhesive to said stepped end, re-shifting said sheets towardsaid end to substantially restore said even end pile, allowing saidadhesive to partially dry, raising a corner of the top set of sheetsremote from said binding end, and removing said set by pulling saidcorner daigonally across said pile, and repeating said separating actionuntil all said sets are separated.

2. The method of forming manifold sets which,

includes assembling a pile of sheets to form a plurality of superposedsets, each having a binding end, each set including in alternatingsuccession record sheets and carbon sheets, each set being begun with arecord sheet and completed with a record sheet, the bottom sheet of eachsaid set being slightly longer than the other sheets of said set,evening the binding ends of the sheets of said pile, placing said pileona support with said sheets in such superposed relation, displacing thesuccessively overlying sheets of said pile in substantial evenprogression away from said end to create a stepped pile, applyingadhesive to said stepped end, re-shifting said sheets toward said end tosubstantially restore said even end pile, allowing said adhesive topartially dry, engaging a projecting corner edge of the bottom sheet ofthe top said set of sheets, remote from said end, raising thecorresponding corner of said set and removing said set by pulling saidcorner diagonally across said pile, and repeating said separating actionuntil all said sets are separated.

3. The method of forming manifold sets which includes arranging inalternating succession a plurality of record and carbon sheets into saidsets, each said set being begun with a record sheet and completed with arecord sheet, intermediate sheets of said sets being notched along oneedge, assembling said sets into a pile with said notched edgessuperposed, alining the edges of said sheets at the notched ends of saidsets, placing said alined pile on a support, displacing the successiveoverlying sheets of said pile in substantially even progression awayfrom said end to step said alined end, applying adhesive to said steppedend and into said notches, re-shifting said sheets toward said end tosubstantially restore said even end pile, allowing said adhesive topartially dry, raising a corner edge of the top said set remote fromsaid adhesived end, removing said set as a unit by pulling said cornerdiagonally across said pile, and repeating said removal action until allsaid sets are separated 4. A method in accordance with claim 3 in whichthe bottom sheet of each said set is made longer than the other saidsheets to facilitate separation of said sets.

5. The method of forming manifold sets comprising preforming recordsheets including an original sheet, intermediate sheets of substantiallyequal length and a final sheet slightly longer than said original andintermediate sheets, perforating each said sheet adjacent one end toform a detachable binding strip and notching the binding strips of thesaid intermediate strips only at intervals, preforming carbons ofsubstantially less length than said record sheets, and notching thebinding edges of said carbons in substantial conformity with saidnotched binding strips; assembling said record sheets, with carbonsinterposed, into sets, superposing said sets in a stack, evening thebinding edges of said sheets, into substantial alinement, placing saidstack on a support, shifting the sheets and carbons of said stack frombottom to top progressively and evenly away from the binding edges ofthe underlying sheets to substantially evenly fan the binding end ofsaid stack, applying an adhesive evenly over said end and into saidnotches, re-shifting the sheets and carbons of said pile toward andalmost to their original position, allowing said adhesive to partiallyharden,. and separating said pile into individual sets by manuallyraising a corner of the projecting final sheet of the top set, graspingsaid corner of said set and drawing said corner toward the diagonallyopposite corner of said. pile to complete separation.

6. The method of forming manifold sets comprising preforming recordsheets including an original sheet, intermediate sheets of substantiallyequal length and a final sheet slightly longer than said original andintermediate sheets, perforating each said sheet adjacent one edge toform a detachable binding strip and notching the binding strips of theintermediate sheets only, at intervals, preforming carbons ofsubstantially less length than said record sheets, and notching thebinding edges of said carbons in substantial conformity with saidnotched binding strips; assemblingsaid record sheets, with carbonsinterposed into sets, each including at least a final sheet, an originalsheet and a carbon, superposing said sets in a stack, evening thebinding edges of said sheets into substantial alinement, shifting thesheets and carbons of said stack from bottom to top progressively andevenly away from the binding edges of the underlying sheets tosubstantially evenly fan the binding end of said stack, applying anadhesive evenly over said end and into said notches, re-shifting thesheets and carbons of said pile toward and almost to their originalposition, allowing said adhesive to partially harden, and separatingsaid pile into individual sets by manually engaging and raising a cornerof said set and drawing said corner toward the diagonally oppositecorner of said pile to complete separation.

GEORGE LEE NEWTON.

